Chris Love sings of the heart of faith (Ear 2 Ear)

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama -- “Any time I play live, I do these stylized versions of the songs on my record, and people are always saying, ‘why don’t you sing like that on your album?’” Singer songwriter Chris August reflects.

“After hearing that suggestion multiple times, I started thinking, ‘Well, now that you say that, maybe I will.”

In his new album, “The Upside of Down,” August acts on his fans’ request and explores the beauty of God’s omnipresence and abiding love in a style closer to his live versions.

With his hit song “Starry Night,” August made a name for himself over the last year, winning Dove Awards for Male Vocalist, New Artist and Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year.

Recently, August faced a personal scare when his brain swelled from a skateboarding accident that knocked him unconscious.

August has been recovering well since, and his new single, “Center of It,” shows his voice is just as powerful as ever. August finished that song after a trip to India and after his accident. Those experiences produced, he said, a song that “points to God’s promise to be with His people in the midst of the highs and lows of our lives.”

Both in India and during his own health crisis, August says, he saw: “God was in the middle of everything going on.”

Fans have responded with enthusiasm. Their comments are posted on Twitter at #theupsideofdown.

August is also back out on the road with tour dates planned with tobyMac, Royal Tailor, Brandon Heath, Sidewalk Prophets and others.

August is seeing success in his work, but that’s not the point, he says.

“At the end of the day, sure it’d be awesome if I could sell a lot of records and have some success just from the business side of it,” August says. “That’d be great, but what good is all that if I’m not reaching people and encouraging them to live for something greater than themselves?”

Chris August’s new album “The Upside of Down” is in stores and download sites now. You can find out more online at www.ChrisAugustMusic.com.

In this video posted Aug. 21, 2012, August sings "This Side of Heaven" at legendary radio station K-LOVE --

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Ace McKay, author of "The Marriage Playbook, has been a musician for 26 years and radio veteran of 21 years. During that time he won the GMA/CMB 2009 Radio Station of the Year. E-mail at AceMckay@gmail.com.